National Shrimp Day – May 10 – Tasty and Good For You Too!

May 10 is celebrated as National Shrimp Day. Today is the day for shrimp fans all over the world to come together to enjoy this popular seafood offering. There is a reason that we all gravitate to the shrimp at an all you can eat buffet. They taste so darn good!

Don’t know about National Days? Check out my National Day Guide. It has loads of information about these special days and tells how they come to be.

For more information on the National Food Days in May, check out this post. It has a lot of great ideas and recipes.

The difference between prawns and shrimp

Americans say shrimp but Aussies and Brits call them prawns. Which is right and what is the difference?

Oddly enough, the two terms refer to two completely different crustaceans! Both have ten legs and external skeletons. But shrimp are part of the Pleocyemata family and prawns belong to the Dendobranchiata family.

Shrimp are smaller than prawns in most cases and they also live in different water. Shrimp mainly live in the ocean and prawns are normally found in fresh water.

So, when Paul Hogan, in Crocodile Dundee said “I’ll slip a shrimp on the barbie for ya,” he was aiming for the movie goers in the USA even though they call the seafood prawn in Australia!

Fun Facts about Shrimp

Here are some fun shrimp facts:

All shrimp are born male but some develop into females.

All sizes of shrimp are available from 1/2 inch to 12 inches in size.

There are over 2000 shrimp species around the world.

The tiger shrimp can be as long as your forearm!

Shrimp are omnivorous and sometimes eat small fish as well as plants and matter on the ocean floor.

The black part of an uncleaned shrimp is the entire intestinal tract. Remove this before cooking by de-veining the shrimp. You will get a cleaner taste and a better look.

Nutritional information for shrimp

The US Department of Agriculture recommends that we eat 2 servings of seafood a week. Why not make at least one of them shrimp? Here are the nutritional facts for shrimp:

One three ounce serving of cooked shrimp contains only 84 calories. They have lots of protein and are carb free.

Shrimp are loaded with healthy nutrients such as B vitamins and iron and are a great source of Omega-3s. Their fat content is very low and they are a popular choice for dieters as well as those concerned about their weight.

How to get more seafood in your diet.

Thread some shrimp on BBQ skewers and throw them on the grill. Add some cooked shrimp to any salad, pasta dish or casserole. They cook quickly and are very versatile.

How to Celebrate National Shrimp Day

Eating shrimp is the most obvious way to celebrate this food holiday, of coursem but here are some other ideas.

Read Penguin and the Tiny Shrimp: Don’t Do Bedtime to your child.

Go to a Shrimp Festival in your area.

Grab some friends and cast a net to catch some shrimp.

Check out your local restaurants to see if they are offering specials on shrimp today.

Spread the word on social media with the hashtags #nationalshrimpday and #shrimpday

Watch the Movie Forest Gump and be on the look for this famous shrimp saying:

There are over 1500 National Days in the year. Be sure not to miss any of them by checking back often to see what special day we are featuring on Always the Holidays. And if you enjoy planning ahead, check out our Free Printable National Day calendar for May.

For other special national days in May have a look at these recent posts:

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Follow us

Hi! I am Carol and I love to garden and cook (with a bit of DIY thrown in for fun.)
I come from a long line of gardeners and have always loved to experiment with food and recipes.
Join me as I cook and garden my way through life.

Always the Holidays is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I earn a small commission if you purchase through an affiliate link but the price the the same for you.